Bold operation by Indian Army: Many militants involved in Manipur ambush neutralised in Myanmar
Relax sir, this cross border was with cooperation of the Burmese Army
NEW DELHI: Indian Army is believed to have carried out a rare cross-border operation into Myanmar, to avenge the killing of 18 soldiers in Manipur last week. In a bold operation, special operation troops are believed to have gone across the border and neutralised a high number of militants.
A formal announcement on the same is expected at 6:00 PM. However, India will not admit to have carried out this operation in Myanmar. It has been confirmed to ET that special paratroopers, on the basis of intelligence inputs, neutralised close to a dozen militantsinvolved in the Manipur ambush.
Last week ET had reported that the perpetrators of one of the deadliest attacks on the Army in recent decades are believed to have crossed back into Myanmar. A day after the attack in Manipur's Chandel district, a massive operational and intelligence failure had come to light that led to the ambush of the Army administrative patrol in which soldiers could not effectively retaliate, boxed in by an IED blast and multiple rounds of rocket-propelled grenades.
By most accounts, the attackers — which the Army believes is a mixed group of Meitei militants led by the KYKL faction while internal agencies point to the Khaplang faction of the NSCN as the main player — managed to cross the international border into Myanmar by Thursday afternoon last week.
Even as investigations into the motive and composition of the militant group will be carried, an embarrassing operational and intelligence failure came to light for the Army that has ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.
Sources said that several standard operating procedures appear to have been violated, starting with the fact that the critical road opening party — tasked with clearing the route of the convoy — having failed to detect the presence of the militants. While the convoy — consisting of soldiers of the 6 Dogra Regiment proceeding on leave — was a soft target, the militants also managed to box in a leading vehicle the consisted of the elite'Ghatak' quick reaction team of the regiment.
Officials believe that the militants carried out the attack after over two weeks of preparation and deliberately chose a spot for the ambush that fell between the responsibility areas of the 20 Assam Rifles and the 6 Dogra Regiment.
A formal announcement on the same is expected at 6:00 PM. However, India will not admit to have carried out this operation in Myanmar. It has been confirmed to ET that special paratroopers, on the basis of intelligence inputs, neutralised close to a dozen militantsinvolved in the Manipur ambush.
Last week ET had reported that the perpetrators of one of the deadliest attacks on the Army in recent decades are believed to have crossed back into Myanmar. A day after the attack in Manipur's Chandel district, a massive operational and intelligence failure had come to light that led to the ambush of the Army administrative patrol in which soldiers could not effectively retaliate, boxed in by an IED blast and multiple rounds of rocket-propelled grenades.
By most accounts, the attackers — which the Army believes is a mixed group of Meitei militants led by the KYKL faction while internal agencies point to the Khaplang faction of the NSCN as the main player — managed to cross the international border into Myanmar by Thursday afternoon last week.
Even as investigations into the motive and composition of the militant group will be carried, an embarrassing operational and intelligence failure came to light for the Army that has ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.
Sources said that several standard operating procedures appear to have been violated, starting with the fact that the critical road opening party — tasked with clearing the route of the convoy — having failed to detect the presence of the militants. While the convoy — consisting of soldiers of the 6 Dogra Regiment proceeding on leave — was a soft target, the militants also managed to box in a leading vehicle the consisted of the elite'Ghatak' quick reaction team of the regiment.
Officials believe that the militants carried out the attack after over two weeks of preparation and deliberately chose a spot for the ambush that fell between the responsibility areas of the 20 Assam Rifles and the 6 Dogra Regiment.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/bold-operation-by-indian-army-many-militants-involved-in-manipur-ambush-neutralised-in-myanmar/articleshow/47601222.cms
Manipur Ambush: ‘Chinese Army officials in touch with NSCN(K) leaders’
According to a senior government official, the insurgent group, did so following instructions from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
A scene after a military convoy was attacked by an unidentified insurgent outfit first with a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) killing at least 20 army personnel and injuring 11 others in Manipur's Chandel district on June 4. (Source: PTI Photo)
Written by Vijaita Singh | New Delhi | Updated: June 9, 2015 8:48 am
Days after the deadly attack in Manipur’s Chandel district, it is now emerging that India gave Myanmar phone intercepts and location details of at least two officials from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), who were reportedly in touch with the top leadership of insurgent group, NSCN-Khaplang, suspected to be behind the killing of 18 Armymen.
Officials said the information was shared two months ago, and that the matter would be taken up with Myanmar again.
According to a senior government official, the insurgent group, which abrogated its ceasefire pact with the Centre in March this year, did so following instructions from the PLA.
The meeting was held in New Delhi on April 10-11. It was attended by Ministry of External Affairs, Union Home Ministry and officials from Myanmar.
“We held a meeting with our Myanmar counterparts in April this year and handed over intercepts of phone conversations between two PLA officials and Khaplang, the leader of the insurgent group. In the said intercept, the Chinese PLA official asks SS Khaplang about his health, tells him to relax and asks him to learn Chinese language,” a senior government official said.
Sources said that officials also took up the issue of “opium cultivation and trade” being done by insurgent groups like NSCN-Khaplang, ULFA and KLO in Myanmar’s Kachin province.
“The insurgent groups are running transport business and opium trade in Myanmar and we have even handed over their photographs,” the official said, quoting intelligence inputs and adding that leader of the hardline faction of ULFA, Paresh Baruah, also convinced Khaplang to snap the ceasefire agreement with Centre. He further claimed that Baruah, too, was acting on instructions from some senior officials of PLA.
Khaplang and Baruah are believed to often shuttle between Taga (Myanmar) and Ruili and Kunming — both in China’s Yunnan province — and are reportedly in regular touch with Chinese officials.
Intelligence inputs also suggested that a former officer of PLA has set up a factory of assault rifles in Myanmar’s Kachin province and a majority of the arms produced there are being supplied to militants of the Northeast, including NSCN-Khaplang.
The official said that the arms manufacturing unit is located at Pangwa, along the Sino-Myanmarese border, and has been set up by a former PLA officer, Muk Yan Pau Huan, along with former leader of Burmese Communist Party, Tin Ying.